Convertible gondola ballast-car



A. CAMPBELL.

CONVERTIBLE GONDOLA BALLAST CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1920. 1,383,281. Pflwllted July 5, 1921.

4 SHEEIS-SHEE? 2.

Ill/62210;

A. CAMPBELL.

CONVERTIBLE GONDOLA BALLAST CAB.

APPLICATON rILEDJUNE28,152;).

1,888,287. Patented uly 5, 1921.

4 SHEE'; S SHEET 3.

A. CAMPBELL.

CONVERTIBLE GONDOLA BALLAST CAR.

APPLICAT ON ILED JUNE 28, 1920 Patented July 5, 1921,

UNITED STATES ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY CONVERTIBLE GONDOLA. BALL AST-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten d duly 5, 1921.

Application filed .Tune 28, 1920. Serial No. 392,203.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARGYLE CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Convertible GondolaBallast-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andexact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in convertible gondola ballastcars.

In the operation of railroads, it is highly essential that all carsbelonging to the rail road company be utilized for as great a part ofthe time as possible. Frequently, freight cars are loaded and shipped inone direction, and, because of the particular type of the car, theycannot ordinarily be loaded for the return trip and consequently aresent back empty with resulting loss, so far as earnings for those carsare concerned. Furthermore, the railroads have use for ballast and plowcars at certain-periods of the year, which cars must be of specialdesign for said purposes. During other parts of the year, such cars arenot required for plow or ballast service and it is highly desirable thatsaid cars be utilized in other productive service.

One object of my invention is to provide a freight car which can bereadily converted to use as either a low car, a gondola, or a ballastcar and wherein the design is economical in first cost, large carryingcapacity is obtained, and the various parts of the car easily operable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified andeconomical door operating mechanism for the general type of carindicated'in the foregoing paragraph.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices hereinshown, described and made the subject of claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this s ecification, Figure 1 a sideelevation of slightly more than one-half of a car embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a car showing slightlymore than a half thereof, the section being taken to one side of thecenter sill. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional Viewcorresponding of the hopper section.

substantially to the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the left hand half of Fig. 3showing the positlon assumed by the various movable arts of the car whenthe latter is adapte for gondola service or as a plow car, the righthand half of the figure showing the position of the parts when the caris adapted for use as a ballast or hopper car. Fig. 4 is a top plan ofone end of a car with the end wall moved to a position immediatelyadjacent the end Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional viewcorresponding sub stantially to the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 1s adetail sectional view corresponding sub,- stantially to the line 6 6 ofFig. 5. And Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 3,illustrating anotherembodiment of my invention.

In said drawings and referring first to Figs. 1 to 6, the improved caris shown as having a pair of heavy built-up side girders A-A; a singlebuilt-up center sill permanent end oor sections 0; fixed longitudinallyextending side floor sections D; four pivoted floor doors E; eightpivoted hopper doorsF; removable and adjustable end walls G; and sidewalls each'composed of a top rail H, side stakes I and eight sideswinging doors J.

As clearly appears from Fig. 2, the hopper section of thecar is disposedbetweenthe trucks and extends from points approximately over the inneraxle of each truck. Said hopper section is defined at each end thereofby downwardly sloping end he per boards 1212 to'the inner lower en s ofwhich are united vertical pressings 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The sides ofthe hopper section are defined by permanent or rigid downwardly andoppositely inclined be per boards 14-14 located on opposite sides 0% thecenter sill and having their u per edges in line with the inner edges oft e fixed floor sections D. Transversely arranged diaphragms areemployed in connection with the underframe, the same preferably being inthe form of pressed steel plates 15-15 hereinafter 116 and 17 having anupper inclined section as indicated at 18 and a lower verticallyextending section, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To the bottoms of theshedding plates 16 and 17 are secured downwardly extending plates 19-19which, together with the shedding plates 16 and 17, form a housing forportions of the door operating mechanism, described. To the diaphragmson either side of the middle diaphragm and to the shedding plates 116are secured similar depending plates 19-19 also forming housings forportions of the door operating mechanism. Similar plates 19 are securedto the pressed plates 13 at the. ends of the hopper, as clearlyindicated in Fig. 2. The various plates 19-19 are suitably strengthenedby gussets 20-20 and reinforcing angles 12012O are employed at'some ofthe joints as shown in Fig. 2. As indicated in Fig. 5, the variousplates 19 are of substantially triangular shape and form the lowerportions of the ends of different hoppers.

The pivoted floor doors E, as heretofore indicated, are four in number,each door therefore being adapted to cover one-fourth of the hoppersection. Each of said doors E is pivoted along its outer edge by meansof suitable'hinges as indicated at 21 to the side floor sections D. Whenin horizontal position, the floor doors E extend to the center line ofthe car and are supported on the dia-- phragms and upper angles of thebuilt-up center sill. Each of said doors E is provided with angle ironbattens 22 on its under side as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown inthe righthand half of Fig. 3, the doors E may be swung up so as to leanagainst the side doors J and form a continuation of the sides of thehoppers, and thereby adapt the car for the carrying of gravel or othermaterials in bulk, which may be discharged, from the bottom of thehoppers.

When the car is arranged for ballast service or the carrying of othermaterial in the hopper, it is'desirable to concentrate the load to thehopper section of the car and for this purpose the end walls Gr aredisplaced. or adjusted to the position indicated in Fig. 4. Each of saidend walls G is provided with vertically extending angles 23 on its outerside to help secure the boards together and also to act as stakesadapted to enter suitable iron sockets 24 provided in the end floorsections C of the car. The upper parts of the end walls G are detachablybolted to the rails H as indicated at 25 in Fig. 4. As

. will be understood by those skilled in the art,

the end walls G' may be held in lace at the extreme end of the car, whent e latter is being used for gondola service, there being suitable ironsockets 26 to accommodate the anglestakes 23 when the end wall is insaid position.

The side doors J of the car, sixteen in numher, are pivotally supportedalong their up per edges to the rails H, as indicated at 27 and at theirlower edges, each door J is provided with one or more, preferably two,loop-shaped camming projections 28 preferably formed out of suitablestrap iron bent to the requisite shape. Said cam loops project below thefloor level of the car and are adapted to cooperate with rectangularloops 29 rigidly associated with a longitudinally extending shaft 30,each shaft 30 extending the full length of the car. In this connection,it will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 3, that the side girdersA are offset inwardly'with respect to the side walls of the car so as toprovide corners within which to receive the shafts 30, the latter beingprotected by the overhanging sections of floor when the load is beingplowed or dumped to the sides of the car. The cooperating sets of loops28 and 29 are so arranged that, as loops 29 are swung upwardly, theywill slide over the peripheries of the loops 28 and gradually cam thedoors J into full closed position and retain them there. The doors J maybe suitably braced by Z-bars 31 applied to the outer sides thereof, inline with the hinge butts and cam loops 28.

The hopper doors F, eight in number, have their free edges meetingbeneath the center sill. Each door F is pivoted along its upper edge bysuitable hinge connections as indicated at 32 in Fig. 3 and beneathangle irons 33 secured to the under sides of the hopper boards 14;.- Thedoors F are braced by suitable angle irons 3 1 and the lower edges ofthe doors on each side of the center sill are united in pairs bylongitudinally extending angles 35.

To operate all of the doors F simultaneously and also to maintain anydesired discharge opening for the delivery of ballast, I employ thefollowing mechanism. Near one end of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, atransversely extending short operating shaft 36 is employed having asuitable pawl and ratchet arrangement for effecting rotation thereof asindicated conventionally at 37 in Fig. 1. Said shaft 36 passes throughthe corresponding side girder A, said shaft 36 being positioned directlybeneath the sloping end 12 of the hopper section so as to be fullyprotected from the load of the car. The shaft 36 is provided with a worm38 adapted to cooperate with a' worm gear 39. i

' as well understood.

views. F, ho per doors 114, center sill section D, the hopper sideboards 14 and the corresponding side girder A so that the shaft 42 andassociated linkages are fully protected against injury during dischargeof the load.

All of the doors are operated simultaneously from the single shaft 42and to accomplish this result, the following system of flexibleconnections is employed. A lurality of drums 142 are secured to the saft 42 at spaced points therealong, there being pivotally' connected toeach of said drums a link 43. Pivotally connected to each of the links43 is a short shouldered link 44 hav-- ing shouldered engagement withthe shaft or drum when the doors are in closed position, as indicated inFig. 3. Connected to each of the links 44 is a hook-shaped link 45, thefree end of the latter being rov'ided with two perforations 4646 by wich the ends of two chains 47 .and 48 are attached. Each of the chains47 passes over an idler 148 to the edge 49 of the hopper door nearestthe shaft. Each of the other chains 48 goes directly to the free ed e ofthe more remote door and is connecte thereto as indicated at 50. Theidlers 148 are mounted in suitable brackets 51 secured to the dependingplates 19 as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. As will be understoodby those skilled in the art, the chains 47 and 48 pass within'thehousings formed by the plates 19 where the same are located intermediatethe ends of the hopper section, and the end chains are disposed outsideof the end plates 19, as shown in Fig. 2.

With the construction just described, it is evident that I materiallyreduce the cost of the door operating mechanism since the number ofparts is reduced to a minimum, all doors bemg operated from a singleshaft and there being only one set of heavy links for each pair ofdoors. Furthermore, be-

cause of the worm and worm gear, the doors may be held in any adjustedposition since the worm and worm gear are self-locking,

Referriiig now to the construction illustrated in 'i 7, the sides of thecar are indicated at the same being rlg'id and. not

in the form of ,pivoted doors as in the case of the constructionillustrated in the other The arrangement of hogper doors pivoted flooroors E and diaphragms 115 is substantially the same as that shown in theother construction and need not be described .in detail. In theconstruction shown in Fig. 7, however, in order to permit dumping to thesides of the car, the side floor sectlons are in the form of ivoteddoors as indicated at D, said doors being ivoted as indicated at 121'and supported rom intermediate longitudinally extending sills 60. It

will be noted that theside girders are omitted so as to avoidinterference with discharge of the load to the sides of'the car.

For operating the doors D, I provide on each side of the car alongitudinally extending shaft 61 and a plurality of linkages for thedoors D As shown, each of these linkages comprises a-drum 62, a link 63pivoted thereto, alink 64 pivoted to the link 63, another link 65pivoted to the link 64, a shouldered link 66 pivoted to the link 65, anda horizontally extending link 67 pivoted to the link 66. Each link 67slides back and forth in a housin 68 secured to the under side of thedoor the sliding movement being facilitated by rollers 69 carried by thelink 67. In the case of the linkages just described, as also in the caseof the inkages associated with the shaft 42, the arrangement isself-locking so that the shafts 1. A convertible car of the characterde-' scribed, said car having: a hopper section intermediate the trucks;side walls; permanent end floor sections, each extending from theend ofthe car to the adjacent end of the hopper section; removable andadjustable end walls adapted to be positionedat either the extreme endof the car or at the end of the hopper section; relatively narrow floorsections extending between said end floor section's along each side ofthe car and outside of the hopper section; pivoted, longi tudinallyextending floor doors arranged to either cover the hopper section whenin horizontal position or to be inclined outwardly and upwardly againstthe side walls; sets of oppositely swinging hopper doors having. theirfree edges meeting at the bottom of the hopper section; and mechanismfor controllin the movements of said hopper doors, sai mechanismincluding a longitudinally extending shaft at one side of the hoppersection, a plurality of links cooperable with the shaft, a directflexible connection from one of said links to one of said doors, aflexible connection from said' link to an opposed hopper door, and anidler over which said last named flexible connection passes.

2. A convertible car of the character described, said car having: anunderframe including side girders, a relatively deep single center sill,and diaphragms of substantially the same depth as saidcenter sill; sidewalls; permanent end floor sections at each end of the car; a hopper andbetween the trucks;

end floor sections removable end walls; longitudinally extending floordoors pivoted along their outer edges and adapted to form either a partof the floor or to be inclined upwardly and outwardly against the sidewalls to form part of a hopper; sets of oppositely swinging pivotedhopper doors hinged along their. up per edges at points between thecenter sill and respective side girder; and operating mechanism for thehopper doors.

3. A convertible plow gondola and ballast car of the characterdescribed, said car having: permanent end floor sections and siderelatively narrow floor sections extending between said end sections; ahopper section including fixed downwardly converging side and end wallsdisposed below the floor level of the car; sets of oppositely swinginghopper doors hinged along their upper edges to the lower edges of therespective converging sidewalls of the hoppers, the hopper doors havingtheir free edges meeting beneath the longitudinal center of the car;displaceable floor sections adapted to either cover the hopper sectionor be placed in an upwardly and outwardly inclined position to formcontinuations of the hopper side walls; pivoted side doors; means orlocking said side doors in closed position; operating mechanism for thehopper doors and including a single shaft disposed on the outer side ofone of said fixed side walls of the hopper and below the level of thecorresponding said narrow side floor section, and

removable end walls.

4. A convertible plow gondola ballast car, said car having: anunderfrarne composed of side girders, a single center sill, anddiaphragms; permanent end floor sections; permanent longitudinallyextending relatively narrow side floor sections, the latter extendingoutwardly beyond the girders and forming corner recesses therewith; sidewalls each including a plurality of pivoted side doors; a locking shaftextending lengthwise of the car on each side thereof within said cornerrecesses; cooperating means on each of said shafts and the adjacent sidedoors to lock the latter in closed position; a hopper sectionintermediate the trucks; ho per doors; operating mechanism for said oorsadapted to hold the latter in any adjusted position; and displaceablefloor sections adapted either to cover the hopper section or assumeinclined positions in continuation of the sides of the hopper section.

v 5. A convertible plow gondola ballast car, said car having: anunderframe including side girders, a single center sill, and diaphragms;a hopper section intermediate the trucks, said hopper section havingfixed converging end walls and fixed converging side walls, the latterbeing spaced inwardly from doors; mechanism for operating saidadJuStable end the side girders; relatively narrow side floor sectionsbridging the space between the side walls'of the hopper and therespective side girders; hopper doors pivotally supported along theirupper edges to the lower edges of the side walls of the hopper;operating mechanism for said doors including, a longitudinally extendingshaft and flexible connections therefrom to all the hopper doors, saidshaft being located in the space defined by a side girder, side fioorsection and hopper side wall; pivoted side doors; means for lockin saiddoors in closed position; displacea le floor sections arranged to eithercover the hopper section or form continuations of the side walls thereofup to the side walls of the car; and removable end walls.

6. A. convertible plow gondola ballast car, said car having: anunderframe including a single center sill and diaphragms, phragms beingin the form of pressed plates and of a depth approximating the depth ofthe center sill; a hopper section intermediate the trucks; sheddingplates secured to the sides of the diaphragms within the hopper section,each shedding plate having an inclined top and a vertically extendinglower section; plates located below the diaphragms within the hoppersection, said plates being of substantially triangular form in endelevation and having the corresponding shedding plates united thereto;hopper doors; pivoted floor doors; and walls. p

7. A convertible plow gondola ballast car, said car having: anunderframe including a single center :ill and diaphragms, saiddiaphragms being in the form of presse plates and of a depthapproximating the depth of the center sill; a hopper sectionintermediate the trucks; shedding plates secured to the sides of thediaphragms within the hopper section, each shedding plate having aninclined top and a vertically extending lower section; plates locatedbelow the diaphragms within the hopper section, said plates being ofsubstantially triangular form in end elevation and having thecorresponding shedding plates united thereto; hopper doors; mechanismfor operating said doors; pivoted floor doors; and adjustable end walls,said operating mechanism for the hopper doors including a longitudinallyextending shaft, and flexible connections from said shaft to' all thehopper ble connections passing between said lates.

8. In a car having a longitudinal y extending hopper section, thecombination with hopper doors pivoted along their upper edges onopposite sides of the center lme of the car, the free edges of the ingat the bottom of the hopper; of mechanism for operating all of saiddoors simuldoors, said flexidoors meettaneously, said mechanismincluding, a longitudinally extending shaft at one side of the hopper,and a plurality of sets of flexible connections associated with saidshaft, each set of flexible connections including a flexible memberconnected to the free edge of the door on the side of the hopper nearestsaid shaft, a flexible element connected to the free edge of theopposite door, common elements between the opposite ends of saidflexible elements and the shaft; and an idler over which only said firstnamed flexible element passes.

9. In a car having a hopper section, the combination with a pair ofpivoted hopper doors, said doors being hinged along their upper edgesand having their free edges meeting at the bottom of the hopper, ofmechanism for operating said doors simultaneously, said mechanismincluding, a shaft located at one side of the hopper and extendinglengthwise thereof, a plurality of links cooperable with the shaft, anidler disposed at the ends of the doors, a flexible element connected atone end to said links and -passing over said idler and connected at itsother end to the free edge of the door nearest the shaft, and a secondflexible element connected at one of its ends to said links andextending directly to and connected at its other end to the free edge ofthe other door.

10. In a car having a hopper section, the combination with a pair ofpivoted hopper doors, said doors belng hinged along their upper edgesand having their free edges meeting at the bottom of the hopper, ofmechanism for operating said doors simultaneously, said mechanismincluding, a shaft located at one side of the hopper and extendinglengthwise thereof, a lurality of links coiiperable with the sha t, anidler disposed at the ends of the doors, a flexible element connected atone end to said links and passing over said idler and connected at itsother end to the free edge of the door nearest the shaft, and a secondflexible element connected at one of its endsto said links and extendingdirectly to and connected at its other end to the free edge of the otherdoor, said links being self-locking when the doors are in closedposition.

11. A convertible car, said car having: an underfra-me including sidegirders and diaphragms; fixed end floor sections; longitudinallyextending relatively narrow side floor sections extended outwardlybeyond the side girders and forming corner recesses therewith; sidewalls each including a plurality of pivoted side doors; a locking shaftextending lengthwise of the car on each side thereof within said cornerrecesses; cooper-- ating meanson each of said shafts and thecorresponding adjacent side doors arranged to lock the latter in closedposition; a hopper section intermediate the trucks; hopper doors; andoperating mechanism for said doors.

12. A car of the character described, said car having: an underframeincluding a center sill and diaphragms of plate formation and of a depthapproximating the depth of the center sill; a hopper sectionintermediate the trucks; shedding plates secured to the sides of saiddiaphragms within the hop-per section, each shedding plate having aninclined top and a vertically extending lower section; plates locatedbelow the diaphragm within the hopper section, said plates being ofsubstantially triangular form in end elevation and united to thecorresponding shedding plates; hopper doors; and mechanism 'foroperating said doors.

13. A convertible car, said car having: a hopper section intermediatethe trucks, a center sill, and diaphragm-s; fixed end floor sections;longitudinally extending relatively narrow side floor sections along,each side of the hopper section; side walls; oppositely downwardly andinwardly inclined fixed hopper side walls disposed below the floor levelon opposite sides of said center sill; oppositely swinging hoppervdoorsvpivoted along their upper edges to the lower portions of said hopperfixed side Walls; an operating shaft for said hopper doors located inthe space included between one of said hopper side walls and one of saidside floor sections, a plurality of links cooperable with the shaft, aflexible connection from one of said links directly to a hopper door, aflexible connection from said link to an opposed hopper door, and asheave wheel over which said last named flexible connection only passes;and displaceable floor sections adapted either to serve as a portion ofthe car floor in covering the hopper section or to assume inclinedpositions in continuation of the sides of the hopper section.

\ In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 5th day of June, 1920.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

CARRIE GAILING, UNA C. Gmessx.

